Police warning after rogue trader incidents
Monday, 20th September 2010.
Police are urging people to be vigilant following three rogue trader incidents in West Suffolk.
On Wednesday, September 15, a man called at the home of an elderly woman in Ashfield Road, Norton at around 3pm, offering to place gravel on her drive as it was left over from roadworks.
When she asked for the cost the man would not tell or indicate how much it would be. He and a
second man then proceeded to put the gravel on the drive and then demanded £960 payment.
She gave them a cheque, for which they refused to
give her details of whom to make it payable to.
The male caller is described as white, in his mid 30s, 5ft 6in tall, of medium build with dark hair and was wearing a smart dark shirt and a jacket.
The second man is described as white, in his mid-40s, of stocky build with short dark hair andnwas wearing dark clothing. A third white man was driving an orange truck which had a mechanical tailgate.
On Thursday, September 16, two men called at the house of an elderly man in Elmswell Road in Wetherden at midday, claiming to have previously carried out work at his property and requiring £1,100 to fix the gable end of the building.
They took the man into Stowmarket in a small truck so he could withdraw the cash but he was unable to do so, so they left him there to make his own way home.
The first man is described as white, around 50 years old and 5ft 6in tall. The second man is described as white, around 50 years old, 5ft 10in tall and was wearing a dark pullover.
The same day police were called to a property in Pentlow Drive, Cavendish, at 4.15pm after two men were seen pulling guttering from the house of
an elderly couple.
The males had offered to clean the guttering for £15. They left with the guttering in a small white van.
The majority of people who call on homes are genuine, but Suffolk Police want people to be aware of this kind of crime and to take some simple steps to avoid becoming a victim.
The simple routine of ‘lock, stop, chain, check‘ can prevent an offender gaining access to your home.
The following advice is recommended to guard against distraction burglaries and rogue traders:
1. LOCK - Keep your front and back doors locked, even when at home.
2. STOP - Before you answer the door, stop and think if you are expecting anyone. Check that you have locked any back door and taken the key out. Look through the spy-hole or the window to see who it is.
3. CHAIN - If you decide to open the door, put the door chain or bar on first. Keep the chain or bar on while you are talking to the person on
the doorstep. (Normally when the door is shut and locked, leave the chain or bar off in case you need to get out in an emergency.)
4. CHECK - Check their details and identity before you let them into your home. If it is someone looking for help only go out to help if you have someone else with you. If it is someone claiming to be an official, ask for and carefully check their identity card, make sure the caller’s name and picture are the same as on the identity card, even if the visit is pre-arranged. Check their identity with the company concerned if you are at all suspicious.
To protect yourself from becoming a victim of a rogue trader, Suffolk Trading Standards advise that you never let someone who knocks on your
door carry out the work there and then.
Ask them for a quote and then shop around to see if someone else will offer you a better deal. Ask
friends and relatives if they can recommend someone to you. A reputable trader should wait for you to make an informed choice and should not pressurise you into a sale.
People are urged to not only keep their own property secure but to also check on their neighbours, relatives and friends. Take the time to go over the lock, stop, chain, check procedure with them and make sure they are confident about what to do if an unexpected person calls, reporting any suspicious persons or vehicles to police.
Anyone with any information about these incidents should call West Suffolk CID on 01284 774100 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
On Wednesday, September 15, a man called at the home of an elderly woman in Ashfield Road, Norton at around 3pm, offering to place gravel on her drive as it was left over from roadworks.
When she asked for the cost the man would not tell or indicate how much it would be. He and a
second man then proceeded to put the gravel on the drive and then demanded £960 payment.
She gave them a cheque, for which they refused to
give her details of whom to make it payable to.
The male caller is described as white, in his mid 30s, 5ft 6in tall, of medium build with dark hair and was wearing a smart dark shirt and a jacket.
The second man is described as white, in his mid-40s, of stocky build with short dark hair andnwas wearing dark clothing. A third white man was driving an orange truck which had a mechanical tailgate.
On Thursday, September 16, two men called at the house of an elderly man in Elmswell Road in Wetherden at midday, claiming to have previously carried out work at his property and requiring £1,100 to fix the gable end of the building.
They took the man into Stowmarket in a small truck so he could withdraw the cash but he was unable to do so, so they left him there to make his own way home.
The first man is described as white, around 50 years old and 5ft 6in tall. The second man is described as white, around 50 years old, 5ft 10in tall and was wearing a dark pullover.
The same day police were called to a property in Pentlow Drive, Cavendish, at 4.15pm after two men were seen pulling guttering from the house of
an elderly couple.
The males had offered to clean the guttering for £15. They left with the guttering in a small white van.
The majority of people who call on homes are genuine, but Suffolk Police want people to be aware of this kind of crime and to take some simple steps to avoid becoming a victim.
The simple routine of ‘lock, stop, chain, check‘ can prevent an offender gaining access to your home.
The following advice is recommended to guard against distraction burglaries and rogue traders:
1. LOCK - Keep your front and back doors locked, even when at home.
2. STOP - Before you answer the door, stop and think if you are expecting anyone. Check that you have locked any back door and taken the key out. Look through the spy-hole or the window to see who it is.
3. CHAIN - If you decide to open the door, put the door chain or bar on first. Keep the chain or bar on while you are talking to the person on
the doorstep. (Normally when the door is shut and locked, leave the chain or bar off in case you need to get out in an emergency.)
4. CHECK - Check their details and identity before you let them into your home. If it is someone looking for help only go out to help if you have someone else with you. If it is someone claiming to be an official, ask for and carefully check their identity card, make sure the caller’s name and picture are the same as on the identity card, even if the visit is pre-arranged. Check their identity with the company concerned if you are at all suspicious.
To protect yourself from becoming a victim of a rogue trader, Suffolk Trading Standards advise that you never let someone who knocks on your
door carry out the work there and then.
Ask them for a quote and then shop around to see if someone else will offer you a better deal. Ask
friends and relatives if they can recommend someone to you. A reputable trader should wait for you to make an informed choice and should not pressurise you into a sale.
People are urged to not only keep their own property secure but to also check on their neighbours, relatives and friends. Take the time to go over the lock, stop, chain, check procedure with them and make sure they are confident about what to do if an unexpected person calls, reporting any suspicious persons or vehicles to police.
Anyone with any information about these incidents should call West Suffolk CID on 01284 774100 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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